tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139Tue, 07 Oct 2014 05:17:18 +0000Canadian PoliticsConstitutionresponsible governmentParliamentCanadian HistoryDemocracyOntario PoliticsParliamentary DemocracyCharter of RightsConfederationRobocallsStephen HarperElectionsSenate ReformAboriginal PoliticsAuditor GeneralCharter or RightsElectoral ReformOccupy TorontoQuebecRepresentationRightsprorogationAccountabilityBilingualismBudget 2012BullyingConstitution ActF-35George BrownHouse of CommonsHuman RightsLBGTMembers of ParliamentMichael IgnatieffMonarchyParliamentary Budget OfficerPrivacyReformRemembrance DaySovereigntyToronto Politicsamendmentc-30citizenshipgun controljudicial politicslong-gun registrymilitarytaxationCanadian Dissensushttp://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Kyle)Blogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-7198146085769514977Wed, 30 Apr 2014 02:52:00 +00002014-04-29T19:53:59.808-07:00What the Court's Reference Re Senate Reform Really Says About Trudeau's Appointments Scheme <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3aEQ00WAXt0/U2BgLEnT1VI/AAAAAAAAAb4/NUu13Fph09s/s1600/MAC10_SENATE99www.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3aEQ00WAXt0/U2BgLEnT1VI/AAAAAAAAAb4/NUu13Fph09s/s1600/MAC10_SENATE99www.jpg" height="167" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-align: center;">While the Senate may be a headache for the government, the Governor General may provide the solution to the third party&#39;s perceived appointments problem. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have written off Justin Trudeau&#39;s proposed -- albeit vague -- appointments scheme. </span>Writing about the Supreme Court of Canada’s Senate reference, Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/supreme-court-decision-puts-trudeau-in-a-bind/article18313003/">argues</a> that: </div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Trudeau plan, should he come to power, would see him appoint a special non-partisan panel to forward nominations for the Senate. That creates problems on its own. How do you find a credible non-partisan panel?</span></u> </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Supreme Court decision adds more woes. As NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair’s office has pointed out, clauses 64 and 65 of the court’s decision appear to require that any new consultative process for Senate selection obtain provincial agreement and constitutional change. If such is the case, Mr. Trudeau has a Stephen Harper-like dilemma – only worse, because he’s already committed to his reform.</span></u></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal">There seems to be a broad consensus in the media, and particularly in Parliament, that the Trudeau plan is entirely unworkable and, as Martin claims, the Court’s decision makes it even more improbable. The contrary is actually true. If anything, the Court’s ruling has cleared the way for Trudeau by clearly showing what will <i>not </i>be permissible – elections – and, in doing so, has left the realm of possibility considerably open. I argue that Trudeau’s critics are deliberately misreading the ruling. The Court’s ruling is much more nuanced and leaves the executive with consider leeway. Finally, contrary to both the NDP and the Conservatives, there is a viable model that can be readily adapted and, surprising, it is a model established by the Conservatives and subsequently demonstrated to work quite well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/what-courts-reference-re-senate-reform.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/what-courts-reference-re-senate-reform.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-1129136809464114609Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:08:00 +00002014-04-25T09:08:24.072-07:00The Spectre of Mega-constitutional Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1G16HKodm6A/U1qFfKx8EiI/AAAAAAAAAbg/0GmT21dXeAM/s1600/patriation-trudeau-chretien.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1G16HKodm6A/U1qFfKx8EiI/AAAAAAAAAbg/0GmT21dXeAM/s1600/patriation-trudeau-chretien.jpg" height="320" width="310"></a></div>The ink on the Supreme Court of Canada&#39;s judgement in the Senate Reference (available <a href="http://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/13614/index.do">here</a>) has barely dried and yet the prognostications that the effort to reform the Senate is dead seem to be legion. As the CBC&#39;s Terry Milewski <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCTerry/status/459691141596594176">tweeted</a>: &quot;SCOC on Senate reform: forget it. Abolition? Double forget it&quot;. That sentiment appears to be common.<br><br>The Court has not dealt a blow to reform; rather, it is has dealt a blow to a particular approach to reform. It has, yet again, reaffirmed the federal nature of the country, acknowledged (again) that the provinces are not merely glorified municipalities and subservient to the central government, and, importantly, reminded the Harper government that the Constitution is much more than a few words committed to paper.<br><br><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-spectre-of-mega-constitutional.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-spectre-of-mega-constitutional.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-5371258115605491307Sat, 12 Apr 2014 16:43:00 +00002014-04-12T09:43:13.397-07:00The Life and Legacy of Saint Jim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIbNxn2RbaE/U0lYb53BtSI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/67W1vQbXaIw/s1600/flaherty2.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIbNxn2RbaE/U0lYb53BtSI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/67W1vQbXaIw/s1600/flaherty2.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg" height="214" width="320"></a></div><br>Few individuals are afforded a public eulogy. Rarer still, as Jim Flaherty was, to be afforded two very obsequious public eulogies in such a short span of time. The first, just three weeks ago, recapped a career in politics spanning two decades. The coverage of Flaherty&#39;s retirement from his Finance post -- his political eulogy -- was met with platitudes from pundits and politicians. The coverage of his tragic passing -- his personal eulogy -- was met with much the same. Indeed, the rhetoric has been almost identical, but this is to be expected. How to separate the politics from the man when the two were so deeply entwined?<br><br><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-life-and-legacy-of-saint-jim.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-life-and-legacy-of-saint-jim.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-5764024385117550834Thu, 10 Apr 2014 17:24:00 +00002014-04-10T10:24:49.461-07:00The Belated Vindication of Marc Mayrand<div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Rw-_6foERo/U0bTnpwsmbI/AAAAAAAAAbA/lmEz-76aCCY/s1600/marc_mayrand.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Rw-_6foERo/U0bTnpwsmbI/AAAAAAAAAbA/lmEz-76aCCY/s1600/marc_mayrand.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg" height="212" width="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div>At the height of the furor over the robo-call scandal a few years ago, I used this blog [<a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.ca/2012/03/in-defence-of-elections-canada.html">In Defence of Elections Canada</a>] as an outlet to defend Elections Canada&#39;s conduct of that investigation and, in particular, the conduct of Marc Mayrand, the Chief Electoral Officer. At that time I was taken aback by some of the arguments being made in the pres and, in particular, by those nominally deemed progressives attacking Mr. Mayrand. </div><div></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-belated-vindication-of-marc-mayrand.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-belated-vindication-of-marc-mayrand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-7953971599211139159Mon, 24 Mar 2014 17:20:00 +00002014-03-24T10:45:37.697-07:00The Spectacularly Fraudulent Pretense of Fair Elections Act<div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5z2i2hAR4IA/UzBpUjd5X_I/AAAAAAAAAao/dxAbCGCMpvI/s1600/r-PIERRE-POILIEVRE-large570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5z2i2hAR4IA/UzBpUjd5X_I/AAAAAAAAAao/dxAbCGCMpvI/s1600/r-PIERRE-POILIEVRE-large570.jpg" height="133" width="320"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Pierre Poilievre has left no stone unturned in his search for false pretense to justify his entirely unnecessary and deeply undemocratic <i>Fair Elections Act</i>. Apart from the minister himself and his party’s loyal coterie, there is no support for this legislation. Indeed, the response has been nothing short of damning. Canada, once a world leader in forward thinking election law – from the establishment of Elections Canada in 1920 (the first agency of its kind) to subsequent changes to party financing (including the establishment of the Commissioner of Canada Elections in 1974) – has, in what is surely an unprecedented turn for this country, been roundly condemned not only by its own leading intellectuals but by a raft of international observers worried about what the changes portent for Canadian democracy. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/03/pierre-poilievre-has-left-no-stone.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/03/pierre-poilievre-has-left-no-stone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-3470026041457726517Fri, 21 Mar 2014 20:47:00 +00002014-03-21T13:48:58.584-07:00Parliament Should Follow the Court's Lead and Assert Its Independence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SSvL_Ge-Ds4/UyykL4axniI/AAAAAAAAAaY/2ULv9Uc2prc/s1600/o-stephen-harper-poll-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SSvL_Ge-Ds4/UyykL4axniI/AAAAAAAAAaY/2ULv9Uc2prc/s1600/o-stephen-harper-poll-facebook.jpg" height="302" width="320"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal">The aborted appointment of Marc Nadon reaches much deeper than a single failed judicial appointment. Instead it speaks to the worst tendencies in the current government and deep-rooted institutional failures. It is a government that sees the constitution – whether the written text or long established convention – as something to be disregarded when it becomes politically inconvenient. It is a government that fundamentally rejects the federal nature of Canada and, as a consequence, is a government that viscerally rejects the multilateralism and dialogue that such an arrangement necessitates. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/03/after-nadon-parliament-should-follow.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/03/after-nadon-parliament-should-follow.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-6429647676561922839Thu, 06 Feb 2014 08:26:00 +00002014-02-06T00:26:43.913-08:00Senate Red Herrings and the Path Not Taken <div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_Fpsjq0Fa8/UvNGMHAl9dI/AAAAAAAAAaE/VdI-6DAXOA8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_Fpsjq0Fa8/UvNGMHAl9dI/AAAAAAAAAaE/VdI-6DAXOA8/s1600/images.jpg" height="141" width="200"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">While much of the reaction to Justin Trudeau’s first salvo in an attempt to make the Senate a partisan-free zone has been balanced -- excluding, of course, the other political parties (seemingly validating the problems associated rabid partisanship) – there have been a few extreme criticisms that suggest removing parties from the Senate constitutes a massive problem in and of itself, particularly for accountability. These break down into roughly three broad themes.</div><br><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/senate-red-herrings-and-path-not-taken.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/senate-red-herrings-and-path-not-taken.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-2463086420951008340Wed, 05 Feb 2014 23:46:00 +00002014-02-05T15:46:55.947-08:00The Complicated Accountability of the 'New' Commissioner of Canada Elections<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrRts_818mI/UvLIAJ3nbgI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/--jj3Rrgh80/s1600/mackay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrRts_818mI/UvLIAJ3nbgI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/--jj3Rrgh80/s1600/mackay.jpg" height="226" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Justice Minister Peter MacKay signals how <br>much more accountability the Fair Elections Act will bring</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">The recently tabled <i><a href="http://www.parl.gc.ca/LEGISInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=E&amp;Mode=1&amp;billId=6398775">Fair Elections Act</a></i> contains a number of provisions which will, in theory, strengthen the <i><a href="http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-2.01/">Canada Elections Act</a></i> but these changes are likely little more than a heavy spoon of sugar designed to sweeten the fatal dose of poison it just administered to Elections Canada. That Act will fundamentally restructure that organization, effectively marginalizing it and, with it, Parliament&#39;s oversight of Canadian elections. By relocating the office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections to -- inexplicably -- the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Conservatives are simultaneously weakening the existing chain of accountability and potentially weakening prosecutions. More problematic, the relocation brings the new incarnation of the office uncomfortably close to the political executive. The independence of the new office, despite the trappings of a fixed term and a secure mandate, is somewhat precarious.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-complicated-accountability-of-new.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-complicated-accountability-of-new.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-2606909071622172486Wed, 05 Feb 2014 20:31:00 +00002014-02-05T12:33:10.813-08:00Union Station, Confederation and the Legacy of John A. <br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-smOed7NukIg/UvKLcn0DVqI/AAAAAAAAAZU/lKxP2Hv8SG8/s1600/toronto&#39;s+union+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-smOed7NukIg/UvKLcn0DVqI/AAAAAAAAAZU/lKxP2Hv8SG8/s1600/toronto&#39;s+union+station.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">&quot;Arriving at MacDonald, MacDonald Station …. Please stand clear of the doors&quot;</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">As the bicentennial of John A. MacDonald’s birth approaches, and with it Canada’s sesquicentennial, the jockeying is on between politicians and civic leaders attempting to demonstrate which among them has the greatest love for Canada&#39;s inaugural Prime Minister. By 2015 we could well wake to find that next to every public building and thoroughfare has been converted into the the Sir John A. MacDonald [Fill-in-the-blank]. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/union-station-confederation-and-legacy.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/union-station-confederation-and-legacy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-7384196773113748886Tue, 04 Feb 2014 20:52:00 +00002014-02-04T13:37:44.598-08:00Fair Elections and the Commissioner of Canada Elections - A New Collar and a Shorter Leash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4JQ53dbXprg/UvFIWfTm30I/AAAAAAAAAZE/vALzi9Qcjek/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4JQ53dbXprg/UvFIWfTm30I/AAAAAAAAAZE/vALzi9Qcjek/s1600/url.jpg" height="166" width="400"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>Reading the first draft of the <a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Fair-Elections-Act.pdf"><i>Fair Elections Act</i> </a>is a maddening experience. If the aim of the Act is to ensure the proper conduct of elections or enhance accountability and transparency, it is difficult to see how this piece of legislation will accomplish it. In fact, the bill is likely to to have the opposite effect because it effectively marginalizes Parliament and brings the conduct of elections close to the centre of government. Indeed, the provisions of the bill relating to Elections Canada run counter to the purpose of the Canada Elections Act (previously the Dominion Elections Act) for nearly a century by allowing the executive in through the backdoor.<br><div><br></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/fair-elections-and-commissioner-of.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/fair-elections-and-commissioner-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-939050336613280116Tue, 04 Feb 2014 18:09:00 +00002014-02-04T10:11:28.723-08:00The Fair Elections Act and the Future of Elections Canada (and Canada’s Elections)<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EtmgwJYF-H0/UvEsexrMcNI/AAAAAAAAAY0/5RPHhmMX_Xs/s1600/ballotbox.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EtmgwJYF-H0/UvEsexrMcNI/AAAAAAAAAY0/5RPHhmMX_Xs/s1600/ballotbox.jpeg" height="150" width="200"></a></div><br></div><div class="MsoNormal">As a general rule, if you want to understand the impact of the Conservative government’s legislation, simply look to the short title of the bill in question and assume the opposite of what the title implies. It is doublespeak codified in law, giving rise to bills that purport to free grain farmers while empowering large conglomerates or ‘economic action plans’ that are as sedate as rocks. The so-called <i>Fair Elections Act</i> will likely join its namesake – the <i>Fair Representation Act</i> – as legislation running counter to what it so boldly purports.</div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/fair-elections-and-future-of-elections.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/fair-elections-and-future-of-elections.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-5001185374906862113Mon, 03 Feb 2014 02:42:00 +00002014-02-02T18:42:38.632-08:00Partisanship, the Senate and the Lessons of the Civil Service Commission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-55UX8XWQtHk/Uu7-A1k28yI/AAAAAAAAAYE/nhiMrNBQ7z8/s1600/TSM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-55UX8XWQtHk/Uu7-A1k28yI/AAAAAAAAAYE/nhiMrNBQ7z8/s1600/TSM.jpg" height="97" width="400"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal">There is much to be commended in Justin Trudeau’s sudden and unexpected decision to eject the entire cohort of Liberal Senators from the parliamentary caucus. Surprisingly the pundit class have been somewhat overwhelmingly positive in affirming the move – even cranks like Conrad Black approve – while the predictable chorus of partisans on the Hill have derided the move as a ploy and smoke screen. The response from the Conservative and New Democrat benches does much to confirm the relevance of the move demonstrating just how thoroughly partisanship is choking parliamentary politics.</div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/partisanship-senate-and-lessons-of.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2014/02/partisanship-senate-and-lessons-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-6574103303356444042Tue, 17 Dec 2013 01:45:00 +00002013-12-16T17:49:06.812-08:00Canadian Politicsjudicial politicsJudicial Rebellion or Judicial Intransigence? Public Policy and its Judges <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MwMwUlQl644/Uq-b3F_1mLI/AAAAAAAAAXE/f3fx9tD3s2M/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MwMwUlQl644/Uq-b3F_1mLI/AAAAAAAAAXE/f3fx9tD3s2M/s400/a.png" width="400"></a></div><br><div class="MsoNormal">On CTV’s <i>Question Period </i>this past Sunday (Dec 15), Ontario’s Colin Westman pontificated in high-minded philosophical terms about his (now) very public disagreement with the Conservative government&#39;s policy which mandates a victim surcharge be applied during sentencing. Westman decried the policy as targeting &#39;broken souls&#39; and resulting in severe harms such as poor children not getting a pair of skates or mortgages going unpaid. The surcharge may very well be unjust and, indeed, may impose a substantial burden on <i>convicted criminals</i> who are not well-off financially; it may also be terrible public policy. The problem, however, is that this policy is now law and Mr. Westman is a sitting judge.</div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/12/judicial-rebellion-or-judicial.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/12/judicial-rebellion-or-judicial.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-7324378529780348669Sat, 14 Dec 2013 20:47:00 +00002013-12-16T11:50:28.797-08:00amendmentCanadian PoliticsConstitutionConstitution ActParliamentParliamentary DemocracySenate ReformSenate Abolition by Attrition: The Fool's Errand of Constitutional Idiocy <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-brnAIVu5tsY/Uqy_o8ZFnPI/AAAAAAAAAW0/ukKe2U1MD_4/s1600/ABC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-brnAIVu5tsY/Uqy_o8ZFnPI/AAAAAAAAAW0/ukKe2U1MD_4/s400/ABC.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>Few issues in Canadian politics have been able to capture the collective idiocy of politicians, pundits and the general public as the Senate. The Official Opposition -- the government in waiting, we&#39;re told -- entreats the public to help &#39;<a href="http://rolluptheredcarpet.ca/">roll up the red carpet</a>&#39;, claiming the upper chamber is simply not needed. Indeed, the common refrain from many is one of &#39;abolish! abolish!&#39; as if by virtue of a simple gesture or utterance a populist consensus (inherently undemocratic) one can simply disregard a country&#39;s constitution. That the NDP with its questionable interpretation of federalism would fail to understand the inherently federal nature of the Senate (designed <i>specifically</i> not to represent individuals citizens based upon population) is unsurprising. The &#39;unelected and unaccountable&#39; trope, too, is troubling as it places a premium on voting as the sole mechanism of legitimacy for any institution.<br><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/12/senate-abolition-by-attrition-fools.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/12/senate-abolition-by-attrition-fools.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-6515728244794923550Sun, 01 Dec 2013 00:36:00 +00002013-11-30T19:11:54.059-08:00Canadian PoliticsHouse of CommonsMembers of ParliamentParliamentParliamentary DemocracyReformresponsible governmentSenate ReformThe Reform Act and a Parliamentary Culture Shift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0MB88Mkfzs/UpqEMaqv2kI/AAAAAAAAAWk/BIMRxh5jWA4/s1600/1111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0MB88Mkfzs/UpqEMaqv2kI/AAAAAAAAAWk/BIMRxh5jWA4/s400/1111.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br></div><div class="MsoNormal">Michael Chong’s proposed private member’s bill – his <i>Reform Act</i> – has received considerable attention since it was first announced, attracting high profile praise from the likes of columnist <a href="http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/11/29/andrew-coyne-reform-act-bill-would-change-canadas-parliament-forever/">Andrew Coyne</a> and equal measures of dismissal from, of all places, the federal New Democrats. As Coyne rightly describes it, should even some of its apparently rudimentary measures come into force, the bill could be nothing short of the first shot in a growing salvo. It could be the tipping point in a much larger spate of democratic reform. Importantly as well it refocuses public attention away from the distraction that is the Senate, instead focussing on the genuine democratic deficit in the House of Commons. Yes, the Senate is unelected, but its abolition would contribute little if anything to enhancing our democracy. Something more necessary is required.</div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-reform-act-and-parliamentary.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-reform-act-and-parliamentary.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-6123094322775949584Mon, 18 Nov 2013 06:31:00 +00002014-04-12T09:45:26.121-07:00Dumbocracy Botch: Democracy Watch's Civic Illiteracy Strikes Again<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bl1dq0y7mLY/UomwYg6C24I/AAAAAAAAAWM/wwTrFAdYAcg/s1600/david-johnston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bl1dq0y7mLY/UomwYg6C24I/AAAAAAAAAWM/wwTrFAdYAcg/s1600/david-johnston.jpg"></a>Democracy Watch and its feckless founder continue to display a profound and stunning inability to grasp the</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div>basic workings of the institutions they seek to improve. For a group that vocally claims to promote basic civic literacy among the general population it continues to demonstrate that as an organization it lacks the collective expertise, wisdom and common sense to fulfill its own mandate. Indeed, the more successful Democracy Watch and its Canadian campaigns are, the more irreparable damage will be done to our collective understanding of how Canadian democracy<i> actually </i>functions.<br><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/dumbocracy-botch-democracy-watchs-civic.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/dumbocracy-botch-democracy-watchs-civic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-2943710058703734459Sat, 16 Nov 2013 23:48:00 +00002013-11-16T16:02:24.370-08:00The Myth of Fiscal Conservatism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2GxcD_VHWk/UogCnUM-lGI/AAAAAAAAAVE/VoSaY7nKYpA/s1600/canadian+penny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2GxcD_VHWk/UogCnUM-lGI/AAAAAAAAAVE/VoSaY7nKYpA/s320/canadian+penny.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve always been curious and more than a little perplexed by the phrase “I’m a fiscal conservative”. It’s confusing because it is most often expressed by individuals who vote (Progressive) Conservative and feel that what is a seemingly self-evidently contradictory action – yes, I’m pro-choice, no I’m not anti-gay – needs immediate explanation. “I’m a fiscal conservative” is an almost defensive posture.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s also fundamentally at odds with reality. Our big-C Conservative governments are rarely if ever fiscally responsible in the sense of responsible management of public funds. Federally the record is quite clear. The fiscally conservative party is actually the Liberal party. The last two Prime Ministers who managed to balance the budget did so because they both inherited a surplus from the previous government. In both cases they were quick to squander the fiscal breathing room.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-myth-of-fiscal-conservatism.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-myth-of-fiscal-conservatism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-7157465328365307972Mon, 11 Nov 2013 00:34:00 +00002013-11-10T16:36:17.664-08:00Poppies, Politics and the War for Remembrance <div class="MsoNormal">It has become an almost inescapable reality that the history of Western states is bound up with their military heritage. The degree to which this is the case waxes and wanes as popular sentiment shifts and power changes hands. Britain, France and Germany are dotted with monuments to the wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries while the history of the United States is, perhaps more so than most other states, bound with war through the revolutionary origins of victory over its imperial masters in Britain. Closer to home, most cities in Canada are likely to have a Cenotaph or some memorial to the ‘Great War’ of 1914-1918, subsequently expanded to include the Second World War, the Korean conflict and, most likely, expanded again to acknowledge peace keeping missions and the recent war in Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p><br><br></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/poppies-politics-and-war-for-remembrance.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/11/poppies-politics-and-war-for-remembrance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-2392862281196582538Thu, 04 Jul 2013 21:36:00 +00002013-11-16T16:10:08.847-08:00Parliamentary Reform from the Cheap Seats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IsEI2ihynvo/UdXqs09B2nI/AAAAAAAAAT8/1cOrH9cHf1s/s800/elizabeth-may.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IsEI2ihynvo/UdXqs09B2nI/AAAAAAAAAT8/1cOrH9cHf1s/s320/elizabeth-may.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Elizabeth May is perhaps the hardest working Member of Parliament. As a caucus of one, her entire party – its policy objectives, its visibility – depends on her ability to command attention in the House and in the media. However, for all the time she spends in the lower house, she still demonstrates an alarming lack of awareness about the institutions she is now apart of. Her frequently public musing offers a glimpse into a political theory that it is often at odds with itself and its intended aims.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/07/parliament-from-cheap-seats.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/07/parliament-from-cheap-seats.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-8528721804157767336Thu, 04 Jul 2013 18:50:00 +00002013-07-04T11:50:17.565-07:00Cabinet & Senate: An End to Government Bills in the Upper Chamber?<br><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls1Sx4rGZbk/UdXD2mehUwI/AAAAAAAAATs/ueTCXJoykyc/s600/photo_2346153_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls1Sx4rGZbk/UdXD2mehUwI/AAAAAAAAATs/ueTCXJoykyc/s320/photo_2346153_resize.jpg" width="320"></a>News that the current Leader of the Government in the Senate is stepping down is not surprising. A long serving veteran of the upper chamber, Marjory LeBreton is close to the mandatory retirement age and would not be able to serve in a theoretically re-elected Harper ministry in 2015. LeBreton has also been front and centre for the Senate expenses scandal, a role that has been largely unhelpful for the government in diffusing the situation.<br><br><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/07/cabinet-senate-end-to-government-bills.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/07/cabinet-senate-end-to-government-bills.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-8570876574776710121Fri, 28 Jun 2013 15:43:00 +00002013-11-16T16:17:05.352-08:00Get Off Your Duff: Democracy Watch Continues to Fail Basic Civics <div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rMu1F_UDAtQ/Uc2wEx29rjI/AAAAAAAAATc/i9awzAyL18A/s648/DuffMar10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rMu1F_UDAtQ/Uc2wEx29rjI/AAAAAAAAATc/i9awzAyL18A/s400/DuffMar10.jpeg" width="400"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br><div class="MsoNormal">Recently the founder of Democracy Watch has once again been given a soap box from which to preach his unique brand of republicanism. An opinion piece in the <i>Toronto Star</i> unduly conveys that notion that he is an expert in his field. The problem is not that he is a republican – the idea of monarchy <i>is</i>morally repugnant and runs contrary to modern conceptions equity and fairness - but that he is consistently wrong when it comes to the subject. His sense of the Canadian Constitution – both as a text and the elements of convention that animate it – and the workings of the Canadian Crown are grossly inaccurate and detract from a serious discussion of the subject.</div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/get-off-your-duff-democracy-watch.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/get-off-your-duff-democracy-watch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-2392263670437234543Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:50:00 +00002013-06-18T18:58:23.224-07:00Partisanship and Parliamentary Politics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mBuJx_7ri4/UcEQHTnqeUI/AAAAAAAAASw/WgCOWdNHTGY/s1600/BBB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mBuJx_7ri4/UcEQHTnqeUI/AAAAAAAAASw/WgCOWdNHTGY/s400/BBB.jpg" width="400"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the recurrent criticisms of the Harper government is the extreme partisan nature of how it operates. It is certainly true that the current government has been more overt in its partisanship, particularly as a tool of control – both of the message and caucus – and as a means of combatting the opposition. This hyper-partisanship has clearly been problematic, sharpening the barbs hurled at enemies – real or perceived – and raising the level of rancor and vitriol, particularly in Question Period and in the form of attack ads. Indeed, partisanship and the Harper are largely synonymous.<o:p></o:p></span></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/partisanship-and-parliamentary-politics.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/partisanship-and-parliamentary-politics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-5418492025584668522Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:10:00 +00002013-06-12T15:17:50.128-07:00Irresponsible Government: Holding the Third Party to Account<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MS5ZbczuU0/UbjkBUICT7I/AAAAAAAAASI/jIFFF49vUnc/s1600/nj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MS5ZbczuU0/UbjkBUICT7I/AAAAAAAAASI/jIFFF49vUnc/s400/nj.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>Accountability in Canadian politics is often a tenuous commodity. This is particularly the case in majority governments where the executive maintains both a firm grip on the House of Commons and the rules that govern it. The incumbent government is fond of using parliamentary rules and standing orders to curtain debate and speed bills through the elected chamber, making ample use of time allocation, closure and, perhaps most problematic, the use of omnibus bills. The ways in which a government can, if it so wishes, attempt to avoid accountability in the House are, as such, myriad.<br><br><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/irresponsible-government-holding-third.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/irresponsible-government-holding-third.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-3880979968904874892Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:20:00 +00002013-06-08T14:20:35.041-07:00The Rathgeber Charade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lzPo3DzKlU/UbOVdIai7wI/AAAAAAAAARY/Mk488hYAQBo/s1600/8489376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lzPo3DzKlU/UbOVdIai7wI/AAAAAAAAARY/Mk488hYAQBo/s320/8489376.jpg" width="320"></a></div><br>The consensus building around the exit of Brent Rathgeber from the Conservative caucus this past week has settled somewhere between heroism and martyrdom. He has been applauded by the opposition and the pundit classes alike for his stalwart defense of parliament and the right of to the individual Member to be free from the shackles of party dominance. Rathgeber, in short, placed principle above party, parliament over politics. As Andrew Coyne of the <i>National Post</i> put it:<br><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, &#39;times new roman&#39;, times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> This is what people of principle do, when they find themselves in a position their conscience cannot abide: They resign. This is what normal politics looks like.</span></blockquote><br><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-rathgeber-charade.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-rathgeber-charade.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778746381708561139.post-7306662919055050577Mon, 27 May 2013 23:57:00 +00002013-05-27T16:57:30.705-07:00Meanwhile In Ontario, a PC/NDP Policy Convergence <blockquote class="tr_bq"><br></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000101/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Stantz</a>: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!<br><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000601/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Spengler</a>: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...<br><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000601/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Zeddemore</a>: The dead rising from the grave!<br><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000195/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Venkman</a>: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!<br><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000195/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Mayor</a>: All right, all right! I get the point! <i> </i></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XcBcUTxQc-w/UaPlntQOHcI/AAAAAAAAARI/8imijYKwKwI/s1600/ghostbusters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XcBcUTxQc-w/UaPlntQOHcI/AAAAAAAAARI/8imijYKwKwI/s1600/ghostbusters.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">What could be a more telling sign of a the coming apocalypse than the sight of two political polar opposites coming together in a policy convergence? The image of political cats and dogs - the Ontario Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats - entering into a truce to fight a common foe is a jarring one. Of course, no such formal pact exists between the two parties which, at least on the basis of party constitutions and policy histories - have little in common. There is no agreement, no stated goal of detente to focus a combined effort on the Liberal government. It is an alliance of happenstance, not concerted cooperation. The convergence is the result of two far extremes which, if followed far enough end up intersecting and aligning on the other side. Two distinct sides of the political spectrum have reached the same conclusion by taking their own political brands to the same common denominator. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; padding: 0px;"></div><a href="http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-pcndp-policy-convergence.html#more">Read more »</a>http://canadiandissensus.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-pcndp-policy-convergence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kyle)0